"BD has set an incredible standard in terms of being engaged all over the globe wherever people are in need," said Robert Provost, board chair, New Jersey State Governor's Jefferson Awards. "If we ever have to reschedule a meeting with our counterparts there, it's typically because they are on their way somewhere, frequently in another country or hemisphere, where there's a crisis or disaster where they can provide relief.

"So as far as being involved in honoring people, they absolutely walk the talk of what we're recognizing with the Jefferson Award," Provost said.

The New Jersey State Governor's Jefferson Awards is a joint program administered by The Community Foundation of New Jersey, NJ Advance Media and The Governor's Advisory Council on Volunteerism, with support from corporate underwriters. It is a local program of The Jefferson Awards, a national volunteer recognition program established in 1972 by the American Institute for Public Service in cooperation with the U.S. Senate and the White House. Designed to honor volunteers across the country, the programs are coordinated by local media partners.

Honorees are recognized in more than 15 award categories, which include underwritten categories, and candidates are nominated through the New Jersey State Governor's Jefferson Awards website. Representatives from The Community Foundation of New Jersey, NJ Advance Media and the Governor's Advisory Council on Volunteerism assist in the selection process. The nomination form asks a series of questions, which highlight individual and/or group achievements.

The deadline for 2017 honorees is Jan. 31. Honorees will be recognized during a local ceremony in the spring, in which they will receive a Jefferson Awards medal and a certificate of recognition. In June, a select group of honorees will be invited to participate in a national ceremony, taking place in Washington, D.C.

Ellen Rafferty, manager of social investing, BDSpecial to NJ.com

"This is important because it helps raise awareness to the area communities that we are helping," said Ellen Rafferty, manager of social investing with BD. "I know some of the volunteers who have won awards across the differing categories, and they are just inspiring. I think seeing them motivates others as well."

The BD Health Care Individual Jefferson Award recognizes individuals whose volunteer service to health institutions and organizations has enabled them to serve the needs of those in need of care and their families. Squatrito is a volunteer interim child care provider for a not-for-profit adoption agency who has welcomed 80 babies into her home, sometimes two at a time.

The BD Jefferson Award for Health Care Professional recognizes professionals who volunteer their time to address the physical and/or psychological health care needs of those who are uninsured, unrepresented or unable to obtain basic or specialized care on their own. Lynn volunteers as a registered nurse and executive director of Assisted Living Inc. (ALI), the non-profit corporation she founded in 1997.

The BD Paterson NJ Patriot Jefferson Award is given to an individual or individuals whose public service and/or volunteerism advances the standard and quality of life in the city of Paterson. The Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Advisory Commission was recognized for its efforts to preserve and interpret historical, cultural and natural resources, including the Great Falls of the Passaic River and the surrounding historic district.

Rafferty said the Paterson NJ Patriot Jefferson Award is near and dear to the hearts of BD employees because so many are from the area. With residents who live locally, they are able to see the need in the community, and have a profound effect on community activism.

"Volunteering is a big component of our giving programs," she said. "We have several global opportunities for our associates to work in developing worlds focusing on building health care capacity, so we try to complement what we're doing globally with what we do here in New Jersey."

Provost commended BD's efforts globally and locally, and said the Jefferson Awards also strives to recognize community outreach.

"What's great is that they not only sponsor an award that focuses on an area that's important to them in terms of their products and services, health, but they also focus on the community where their business is and many of their employees reside," he said.

The deadline to nominate someone for a 2017 Jefferson Award is Jan. 31 and categories include:

Verizon Service Through STEM

BD Health Care Individual

BD Health Care Professional

BD Paterson NJ Patriot

PSEG Environmental Stewardship

CFNJ Community Pillar

NJTV Education

Youth Volunteer Program

Against All Odds

Emergency Services

Founders/Innovators

Good Neighbor

Lifetime Service

Service to Youth

Ambassador

Executive Leadership

Corporate Leadership

Youth in Service

Faith-Based Services

Volunteer Leadership

Volunteer Program/Group

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Champion for Justice

Contributions from sponsors -- such as PNC Bank, which sponsors the awards, and BD, Verizon, PSEG, CFNJ and NJTV -- are directed to the Community Foundation of New Jersey. The funding is split 25 percent to the Jefferson Awards recognition program expenses locally and nationally and 75 percent to the programming and communications outreach to promote volunteerism and public service in New Jersey -- which includes the Students in Action program, which impacts more than 5,000 high school and middle school students.

Students In Action educates young people by building a sense of community awareness and pride and motivating students to care about the world beyond their home and classroom. It expands the students' awareness to the needs in their community and fosters the development of leadership and project-management skills to be used in meeting those needs.